An alternative slogan if you don't like that one: Someone has to win this crappy division(from alnorth)

With the beginning of a new year, it is time for the 2012 version of the Royals Repository Thread. We've got Hosmer, we've got a 2011-dominating Gordon, we've got Moose, we've got hopefully a killer bullpen, we've got a stereotypical slow slugging DH, we've got easily one of the best defensive shortstops in the AL, we've got a promising catcher in Salvador Perez. Hell, we've got offense and promising prospects galore.

We do not have starting pitching.

Oh yeah, we've also got this:

Get ready for, (as of January 2012 anyway), one of the most confusing puzzles of a baseball season in recent Royals history. Will they suck? Maybe, I don't know. Will we be given a year of 0.500 baseball? Possibly, I don't know. Will they win the division and go to the playoffs for the first time in 27 years? For the first time in a long time, it could happen, I don't know. 92 losses, 92 wins, or anything in between would not surprise a lot of us.

Everything goes here except Gameday threads and really big news. If a giant story breaks, the Royals achieve some awesome milestone, or we sign/lose a highly significant player/coach/mascot/whatever, then it might also deserve its own thread. This being Chiefs Planet, please do not clutter the board with new threads about trivial Royals news or you will only annoy those who come here for just Chiefs football. If you aren't sure and its not a Gameday thread, it goes here.

What sort of stuff often goes here? SPchief explained it well, so I'll just copy that:

Quote:

If you locate something of interest.. ANYTHING.. deals on apparel, best ways in/out of the stadium, giveaways, great stories from this season or from seasons gone by, rumors, trades, anything.... feel free to post it here.

Anibal Sanchez is a legitimate No. 2 starter who is coming off strong back-to-back years. He hasn't pitched that well in Detroit (though part of that is bad luck - BABIP is abnormally high and has no real indicators. Bad D has hurt him, too).

He's still young (will be 29 at the start of next season), he has great stuff (strikeout pitcher who can win tough matchups against other star pitchers), and he has been very durable since TJ surgery back in 2007.

If you can't sign a legitimate No. 1 starter, Sanchez is probably as close as you can get in this market. At this point, the only true No. 1 really left is Greinke, and Sanchez has been better than Zack two of the past three seasons...

Guthrie wants to be in KC and has performed well here. Bringing him back for two years won't be unbelievably expensive, and his performance in a big park is encouraging. He's nibbling less and throwing more strikes, and the decreased base runners are making him a much more effective starter. This is a guy who survived several years in the AL East in a hitter's park, with good numbers despite it. Pitching most of his games in a more neutral park is only going to be a positive. He was a solid No. 3 for the O's.

Millwood isn't flashy, but he's better than the alternative (Will Smith? Hochevar? Mendoza?) and is a veteran pitcher who could add a nice bit of toughness and leadership to this rotation. Moore has an existing relationship with him, and the best part is that he has been pretty effective this season. He would be a relatively cheap, one-year stop gap. I'm not set on him or anything, but I like him better than some of the other, similar options.

I would like to see Odorizzi in the rotation out of spring training. He actually looks to have improved his curve quite a bit this year. He needs to build his stamina, but I think he's the best option at that spot.

And Chen is going to be there, because he's under contract. Slot him as the No. 5 pitcher, limit his innings a little more tightly, and I think you see a guy a little closer to what he was in 10 and 11 rather than this season.

It's not the Tigers' rotation, but it's much less "dogshit" than what was trotted out this season. It would give the Royals a much better chance to compete, and - perhaps most important - would eat a lot more innings. Sanchez/Guthrie/Millwood will probably give you a combined 650 IP, keeping the bullpen fresh and deadly.

Signing Sanchez long-term (4-5 years) would also help with future setups. 2014 rotation would contain:

Sanchez
Guthrie (final year of contract)
Duffy
Paulino
Odorizzi

And you'd have competition/depth still from John Lamb, Mendoza, Smith, and the rest of the swingman crew to cover the TJ guys. It's also possible Kyle Zimmer could force his way into that discussion if he has a really strong 2013.

-- What the Royals, facing Justin Verlander, needed Monday night from Luke Hochevar was the sort of outing he rarely delivers against the Detroit Tigers. What they got was more of the same.

It wasn’t close to good enough in a 6-2 loss at Comerica Park.

Hochevar’s 6.16 earned-run average against the Tigers is his highest against any division opponent. His worst outing in a season marked by seven starts of yielding at least seven runs came here on May 1 — nine runs and 12 hits in four innings in a 9-3 loss.

“My expectations are high,” Hochevar said. “Every time I take the mound, I expect to win the ballgame. I don’t think about losing at all. When it does happen, that’s when you get (upset).”

With few exceptions, the Tigers didn’t hit Hochevar hard.

“He threw the ball really well,” manager Ned Yost insisted. “He just didn’t have anything to show for it. Give them credit. They found holes. He gave up hits, but there weren’t many of the hard-hit variety.”

Hard-hit or not, Hochevar, 8-15, surrendered 12 hits and five earned runs in 71/3 innings. In short, he didn’t come close to matching Verlander

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Originally Posted by Cassel's Reckoning:

Matt once made a very nice play in Seattle where he spun away from a pass rusher and hit Bowe off his back foot for a first down.

He turns 38 years old this year and has had an ERA+ under 100 in four of the last six seasons (including this one).

I also hope that the Royals have an eye on Edwin Jackson and Hiroki Kuroda ...

Like I said, not dying for him or anything. He's just a decent, cheap option that will be on the FA market and could be used to bridge the gap to the 2014 season, when you can actually expect Duffy and Paulino at full strength and should have Lamb and possibly Zimmer ready to contribute.

There will be several guys of that ilk out there. Millwood makes some sense (and I think his numbers pitching at The Ballpark and Camden Yards the past few years might be a bit inflated). He's an innings eater and a tough vet who has been through several playoff races. He could teach the younger pitchers a thing or two (or ten).

I don't know if he's been mentioned on here, but Carlos Villanueva is another guy to look at. He has had trouble staying healthy in the past but could be an intriguing piece for a year or so. If he stays healthy as a starter, the upside is definitely there.

Words don't mean anything to me. Actions speak louder. Hochever needs to go away as well as Francour. Also need a TOP OF THE LINE starter, NOT 3 #3's!

Glass is a moron. Don't cheapen the ****ing value of this organization by settling for 3 #3's! Get a ****ing top of the line starter!

Quote:

But if the Royals retain Guthrie, they should have sufficient resources to pursue another middle-of-the-rotation starter. The general feeling among club officials is adding two legitimate No. 3 starters would be sufficient.

Rany said this morning on the radio that he thinks the following package would net David Price from the Rays:

Eric Hosmer (gets it most of the way there on his own) +
Jason Adam (type/level) + Robinson Yambati/Sugar Ray Marimon type

I would do that trade. It would be hard to give up Hos, but worth it...

I love Hosmer, but David Price is controlled almost as long (FA in 2016 vs. FA in 2017). There's also the possibility of negotiating an extension that buys out a few FA years in return for more up front.

Something like that is probably the only way they get a true ace in there.

Insert David Price in my rotation projection from earlier (as at that point, they probably don't sign someone like Anibal Sanchez).

The lineup takes a potential hit long-term, but you've still got several talented young hitters to build around in Moose, Myers, Perez. Gordon and Butler are just entering their primes. Escobar appears to be a solid hitter, especially considering his defense.

That's a good rotation, with a true TOR guy. The lineup should still be productive.

Rany said this morning on the radio that he thinks the following package would net David Price from the Rays:

Eric Hosmer (gets it most of the way there on his own) +
Jason Adam (type/level) + Robinson Yambati/Sugar Ray Marimon type

I would do that trade. It would be hard to give up Hos, but worth it...

I love Hosmer, but David Price is controlled almost as long (FA in 2016 vs. FA in 2017). There's also the possibility of negotiating an extension that buys out a few FA years in return for more up front.

Something like that is probably the only way they get a true ace in there.

Insert David Price in my rotation projection from earlier (as at that point, they probably don't sign someone like Anibal Sanchez).

The lineup takes a potential hit long-term, but you've still got several talented young hitters to build around in Moose, Myers, Perez. Gordon and Butler are just entering their primes. Escobar appears to be a solid hitter, especially considering his defense.

That's a good rotation, with a true TOR guy. The lineup should still be productive.

Could make 2013 very interesting.

Wow only Royal fans would think that. O and Price is going no where. You want Price it's gonna take Myers Hosmer and someone.

I would like to swing a trade for Dan Haren, sign Shaun Marcum, and resign Jeremy Guthrie.

1. Haren
2. Marcum
3. Guthrie
4/5. Ordorizzi/Smith/Mendoza

If the Angels re-sign Greinke, Haren will probably either be a FA or dangled by the Angels. His salary is high ($15), so if they're trying to trade him, it's going to diminish the return they receive.

It's not an unrealistic option, and he's been pretty solid outside of getting shelled while trying to pitch through an injury back in May/June. He's been much closer to his typical self in the second half (though his K rate is down a tick)

Chen's going to be part of the rotation next year, though. I think it's livable as long as he's managed better (and not asked to eat innings).